The Warriors had made a similar run at McMinnville before falling back in a 63-43 loss on Dec. 5.

"We ran out of gas in that one," Coach Washington said.

The 2013-14 Warriors have a similar look to the team that last season earned a co-PIL 5A title with Wilson. The 6-2 Ristvedt and 5-11 senior post Emily Rommel, standouts on this year's league volleyball champions, patrol the inside again, with Ristvedt also popping out on the high post to hit jumpers or move the ball.

Around that duo are Antonia Washington, Wangen, senior guards Jule Holgate and Amanda Ulrick, senior wing Cali Hodge and freshman guard Tynesha Parnell, who all do a combination of ball-handling, passing and shooting.

Antonia Washington and Holgate are returning team captains, and Hodge has joined them in that role this season.

The Warriors won 59-37 at Parkrose on Dec. 6, and their goal is to get a third consecutive league title  they won the PIL 5A outright two years ago.

The rest of Cleveland's preseason won't be easy. Next is a game at Sunset on Friday. The Dalles-Wahtonka visits Cleveland on Dec. 17, and then come four consecutive late-December road tests, versus Clackamas, Hillsboro, Marist and Sherwood.

Forest Grove pays a visit on Jan. 3, and then the PIL 5A season begins with Roosevelt at Cleveland on Jan. 7.

"It's a tough preseason, but it's good for us," Coach Washington says. "It's what we need. Our team always gets better when we play those tough teams.

"And there's a lot of things we need to get integrated. We're not traditionally a team that comes out of the gate fast, and we have some new players we need to get into the mix."